The present invention relates to a panhead to be used in the state where it is attached to a leg system, such as a tripod for a camera.
An example of conventional panheads is shown in FIG. 7, wherein the panhead is provided with a tilting body 1 serving as a rotational body. The tilting body 1 can be adjustably rotated around a horizontally extending rotational center axis. A camera mount 2, which revolves around said rotational center axis as an integral body with the tilting body 1 is attached to the tilting body 1.
When the camera mount 2 of the panhead shown in FIG. 7 is set at a first position (the position represented by solid lines in FIG. 7) by operating a pan handle 3 to adjustably rotate the tilting body 1 in one direction, for example counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 7, the entire camera mount 2 is at an approximately horizontal position and located higher than the upper end portion 1a of the tilting body 1.
When the camera mount 2 is set at a second position (the position represented by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 7) by operating the pan handle 3 to adjustably rotate the tilting body 1 in the other direction (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7), a part of the camera mount 2 (the left half as viewed in FIG. 7) is located higher than the upper end portion 1a of the tilting body 1, while the remaining part of the camera mount 2 (the right half as viewed in FIG. 7) is located lower than the upper end portion 1a of the tilting body 1.
However, the panhead shown in FIG. 7 presents problems in that a half of the camera mount 2 inevitably projects upward from the tilting body 1 even when the camera mount 2 is set at the second position. In other words, it cannot be made sufficiently compact.
For example, when stowing the panhead into a bag in the state that the panhead is still mounted on a tripod, the part of the camera mount 2 projecting from the tilting body 1 may obstruct its stowage in the bag.
As the part of the camera mount 2 projecting from the tilting body 1 may become a hindrance also when, for example, leaving the panhead in a room in the state that the panhead is still mounted on a tripod, the panhead shown in FIG. 7 may limit where it is placed.
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a panhead which ensures a sufficient height to take pictures when in use, and can be made sufficiently compact when not in use.
A panhead according to the present invention includes a rotational body, which can be adjustably rotated around a horizontal rotation center axis, and a camera mount which is provided as a part of said rotational body and adapted to revolve, as an integral body with the rotational body, around said rotation center axis of the rotational body, wherein the panhead is structured such that when the camera mount is set at a first position by rotating the rotational body in one direction, at least a part of the camera mount is located higher than the upper end portion of the rotational body and that when the camera mount is set at a second position by rotating the rotational body in the other direction, the entire camera mount is located lower than the upper end portion of the rotational body.
According to the invention, rotational adjustment of the rotational body causes at least a part of the camera mount to be positioned higher than the upper end portion of the rotational body or the entire camera mount to be positioned lower than the upper end portion of the rotational body. Therefore, the panhead according to the invention is ensured of having a sufficient shooting height when in use and can be made sufficiently compact when not in use.
A panhead according to another feature of the present invention includes a base body to be connected to the upper end portion of a leg system, a rotational body which is provided as a part of the base body and can be adjustably rotated around a horizontal rotation center axis, an operating handle projected from said rotational body and formed in the shape of a long bar extending in such a direction as to intersect with said rotation center axis of the rotational body, said operating handle being adapted to rotate, as an integral body with the rotational body, around the rotation center axis of the rotational body by receiving a given force when said rotational body is adjustably rotated, and a camera mount which is provided as a part of said rotational body and adapted to revolve, as an integral body with the rotational body, around said rotation center axis of the rotational body. The rotational body has a body portion rotatably connected to the aforementioned base body, and a projecting portion projecting upward from the body portion. The aforementioned camera mount is attached to one side of said rotational body. When the camera mount is set at a first position by rotating said rotational body in one direction until the lengthwise direction of the operating handle intersects with the lengthwise direction of the leg system, the camera mount is at a given distance from a location directly above the base body towards the side from which said projecting portion projects, with at least a part of the camera mount being located higher than the upper end portion of the rotational body. When the camera mount is set at a second position by rotating said rotational body in the other direction so that the operating handle and the leg system extend in parallel with each other, the camera mount is at a given distance from a location directly above the base body towards the side from which said projecting portion projects, with the entire camera mount being located lower than the upper end portion of the rotational body.
With the configuration as above, by rotating the rotational body with the operating handle, at least a part of the camera mount attached to the projecting portion of the rotational body can be positioned higher than the upper end portion of the rotational body, or the entire camera mount can be positioned lower than the upper end portion of the rotational body. Therefore, the panhead is ensured of having a sufficient shooting height when in use and can be made sufficiently compact when not in use.
A panhead according to yet another feature of the invention is characterized in that the rotational body has a flat surface formed on the side opposite the surface from which the operating handle is projected, and that the operating handle is positioned to cause its lengthwise direction to intersect with said flat surface.
According to the above feature of the present invention, the operating handle is provided so that its lengthwise direction intersects with the flat surface of the projecting portion of the rotational body. Therefore, when the operating handle is positioned such that its lengthwise direction becomes parallel to the length of the leg system, the flat surface of the projecting portion of the rotational body constitutes one of the lengthwise ends of the leg system, thereby permitting the panhead to be neatly stowed into a bag or the like.